This invention relates to a toy and game, and particularly, to a fantasy toy and game simulating a spaceship.
Toys and games serve a number of useful purposes such as providing entertainment, developing creativity, as teaching aids, to promote social interaction, etc. Some types of toys and games also promote the development of certain skills such as hand/eye coordination. An example of a toy which promotes the development of hand/eye coordination is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,938, issued to the present inventor, entitled "Spaceship Type Toy". That patent discloses a spherical toy space capsule contained in a vertically disposed tube having a fan at its base. The fan provides air pressure to raise the toy's space capsule and the user can raise and lower the space capsule by means of a control.
To increase interest in the user, it is desirable to provide even more sophisticated toys. It is further desirable to provide more control over the toys, such as the above mentioned spaceship, to provide a greater challenge and to develop higher levels of skill in hand/eye coordination in the user. It is also desirable to provide such a toy which can also be used in a game setting to further increase interest and challenge, by introducing a competitive element to the activity.
In view of the foregoing, it is a principal of this invention to provide a spaceship toy and game which is controllably moveable in a rotating motion about a vertical axis, as well as in an up and down motion. It is a further object of this invention to provide a spaceship toy which can be used in a game setting which includes a laser cannon which can be fired by the user at targets. It is another object of this invention to provide a means for controlling the up and down and angular rotation movement of the toy space capsule, and also for controlling the firing of the laser cannon. It is yet another object of this invention to provide a spaceship toy and game which provides fantasy targets, for the user to fire the cannon at, which respond in some manner when hit. It is another object of this invention to provide a spaceship toy and game which challenges the user by keeping score of successful hits of the targets and increases the difficulty of skill required to successfully hit the targets.
The above principal aspects of this invention are provided by a spaceship toy and game having a spherical toy space capsule, which is closely received by an elongated transparent tube. The tube has an enclosed lower end where it is attached to a base assembly. Within the base assembly is a fan assembly which provides positive air pressure to the lower ends of the tube, thus causing the space capsule to become suspended within the tube. The fan assembly is energized by a variable output power supply, enabling the user to control the position of the capsule within the tube. The space capsule has two additional fan assemblies providing air flow in opposite horizontal directions resulting in side thrust which causes rotation of the space capsule within the tube. These side thrust fan assemblies may be energized by the user, one at a time, to provide rotation in any desired direction. An energy emitting simulated laser cannon is also provided on the space capsule which can be fired by the user. One or more targets are provided which are responsive to the energy emitted by the laser cannon and which provide a response indicating to the user when the energy emitted by the laser cannon has struck the target.
Additional features of this invention include a wireless transmission means for controlling the motion of the space capsule as well as the firing of the cannon, thereby increasing the freedom of motion of the space capsule.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments of this invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.